Heroes Don't Exist
by MistySkies14
Summary: Danny is depressed. He has been caught up in a nasty habit, and needs someone to pull him out of it. When Vlad comes to stay for a couple of months, what will happen? Will something spark between Vlad and Danny? Rated T, and is a Vlad/Danny romance. No inappropriate scenes! Rated T for swearing and depressing scenes.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I do NOT own Danny Phantom, because if I did I would be stating so and be saying things like "wow I'm so awesome for making this TV show." Anyways, rated T for self-harm. Onto the story!

Danny's PoV

Blood, everyone knew what it was, especially me. We all knew it as the sticky, metallic, crimson-colored liquid that flowed from cuts and a few other wounds. Some people loathed the sight of blood, feeling slightly ill when noticing it. However, I never was normal, was I?

The red liquid cascaded down my wrist, a sigh escaping my slightly ajar lips. Great, how was I supposed to hide this? When I attempted to roll my sleeve down, the substance just faded through, causing me to growl in frustration.

I had been becoming quite short-tempered nowadays, especially with all of the ghost fighting. Sam and Tucker would sometimes help out, but lately they've been busy with school work, along with me. However, thanks to being the town's "hero", I barely had any time for school! It was the reason I skipped class, ditched my homework, or randomly raced off screaming when a ghost would appear, trying to act "normal" so that no one would suspect me being who I really am. Yeah, not only am I Danny Fenton, but I'm Danny Phantom as well.

Life was tough, but lately the ghosts had been a little less ruthless. They had gradually started drifting off into the ghost zone, leaving me to retreat home with several injuries. But the real question was how did I get this one?

Simple, I didn't. It wasn't one of my enemies... it was me. Yes, I had hurt myself. I've only been doing it for about a month, and no one suspected a thing. Not like they cared, though. No one cared, just like that one quote; No one cares unless you're dead.

However, I have my reasons to self-harm. I get bullied daily, and so do Sam and Tucker, but definitely not as much as I do. For some foreign reason I'm their primary target. They called me numerous things, things that caused the scars on my arms.

It wasn't just the bullies, though, it was also stress. Stress was a cruel, merciless thing. It was a terrible feeling to have stuck in your mind, and it simply ruined your whole day, but for me, it ruins my whole life. More sighs, and within about five more minutes I had finished for today. Six cuts total, but what had been so horrific today?

Well, for one, I tried confessing to Jazz today. She was too busy studying, and when I finally managed to croak out "I feel depressed", she simply blinked, saying something like "No, you don't have any physicial symptoms!" I couldn't exactly recall what she had precisely said, but it was along the lines of that.

Earlier this day, though, I was bullied again by Dash and his little group. They would shove me into lockers, saying insults that broke my heart, and would forever be embedded into my brain.

Ghosts were out today as well. I had to fend off Skulker, who put up quite the fight. Next, I battled an unfamiliar ghost, whom I had never seen before, nor heard of, and he was typically easy. Lastly was Technus, who was fairly tough, but eventually I managed to get him into the Fenton thermos. All in all, it had been a rough day.

I was snapped from my thoughts by my ghost sense going off, the blue whisp of air emitting itself from my mouth. Swiftly bandaging up my arm, I pulled my already bloody sleeve down, and switched into Phantom, the two halos circling around me, before transforming me into my ghost half.

Phasing through the bathroom door, I came face-to-face - or rather face-to-chest - with none other than Vlad. He too was in his ghost form, looking rather... emotionless.

I obviously wasn't in the mood right now, so I queried,"What do you want, Vlad?" He smirked, returning the gesture of short-temper.

"Can't I simply visit my nephew?"he inquired calmly, a smug expression. However, it quickly faded once he noticed my stained sleeve. "What happened, Daniel?" I just flinched under his words, not wanting to response.

"Ghost fight,"I lied simply. He wasn't appearing convinced, but gave a curt nod. Once again, I pondered to myself of why he could possibly be here.

"Again, what do you want?"I demanded rather rudely, not taking any notice to my threatening tone. Vlad feigned a hurt expression, as he replied.

"Just visiting, Daniel,"he responded nonchalantly, the annoying flash in his red eyes illuminating his orbs. Within a couple moments of utter silence, he muttered,"Well... goodbye." And with that, he switched intangible, phasing through the wall and exiting the house.

A sigh came from me, turning back to my human self. I flopped onto my comfortable bed, collapsing onto the matress. A bellow snapped me from my fatigue, as my father, Jack, called,"Dinner!" Groaning in irritation, I got up from my relaxing bed, reluctantly inching down the stairs. "Danny, my boy!"my dad exclaimed, gesturing towards the seat next to him. Bet'cha wouldn't want me to sit next to you if you knew I was Danny Phantom, I mused to myself, slowly approaching the table and plopping myself in the chair. My family began conversing, be just poking at my food. I didn't feel like eating, mainly because I didn't want to get bullied for my fat body, so I didn't eat. Apparently no one noticed, but Jazz was giving me strange looks.

At last, the meal came to a halt, as I hurriedly dismissed myself before racing up to my room. Great, what an terrible day! I once again fell onto my bed, unable to drift off into sleep. My only thoughts were how can I go on?

~XXX~

The following morning I awoke to a painful surge in my wrists, causing me to glance down. Oh, right... the self-harm. Shaking my head, bemused, I reluctantly got up, head foggy and clouded with hateful thoughts. I then realized it was... Wednesday. Great! Rolling my eyes at the sarcasm flooding through my mind, I headed towards the shower.

Quickly stripping off my clothes, I got into the shower, the faucet releasing the warm water. I glanced down at my arms, the cuts still obvious and noticeable. Great, imagine if anyone found out! Ugh, I could already imagine what would happen if Jazz found out. She'd send me right off to a therapist, then try to match up my symptoms to my earlier reaction when I tried to tell her how I felt.

Another fatigued sigh came from me, as I glanced over at my razor, which I had brought into the shower with me. Nearly everytime I took a shower I would bring along my "little friend", just in case I thought I deserved it.

It was a strange cycle. I didn't even know why I cut. Sometimes I did it for relief, yet at other times I did it because I thought I deserved it. Like when I didn't correctly capture a ghost, I would cut because I felt I deserved it. Well, because I did deserve it!

Heading out of the shower, I got dressed in my usual clothes, a white T-shirt with blue jeans and sneakers, but knew I should somehow hide my self-harm. Scoping my room, I finally spotted a jacket, and thankfully for me, it was still winter, though, it was getting closer to spring. Any day now it would start getting warmer, and then I'd have to start cutting somewhere else other than my arms or wrists.

Pulling on the blue jacket, I rushed out, realizing I was going to be late. Then again, I didn't really care. I guess I was just in a terrible mood. Grabbing ahold of my backpack, I shrugged it onto my shoulders, then lazily waved bye to my parents, ambling out the door.

Within a few minutes of walking towards Casper High, my school, my two friends (and my only friends), Sam and Tucker, came over to me. "Hey, Danny!"they exclaimed, greeting expressions on their faces.

"Yeah, hi,"I muttered, not really feeling great.

"Something up?"Tucker queried, looking slightly concerned. Nah, I must've been imagining it, because no one would be concerned over me. Shaking my head, I just begged to say "Yes! There is something wrong! I've been cutting for a month and you guys haven't even noticed! Oh, and I'm depressed and suicidal! Ta-da!" But no, I just couldn't bring myself to say it.

"Alright, well, let's get to school,"Sam said, gesturing towards hell. Yes, hell, my way of saying education. Nodding, they walked forwards, as I just trailed behind them, lost in thought.

No one cares!

They hate you!

Who wouldn't?

You're no hero! You're just a wannabe!

Apparently my friends noticed my slowing pace, because they halted. "Are you sure you're okay?"Sam inquired, focusing on me, while Tucker did the same.

"I'm fine!"I snapped, glaring softly at them. They just exchanged glances, before turning back to the school.

~XXX~

By the time it was dinner, I had already fended off a couple of ghosts, skipped a class because of it, and by the time dinner was over, I had to add yet another worthless day of my worthless life.

I slowly made my way back up to my room, trudging up the stairs and swinging open the door, closing it behind me as I flopped down onto my bed. Sighing, I lazily ran a hand through my black hair, staring up at the ceiling. Abruptly, a voice cut me from my thoughts, causing me to shoot up.

"Calm down, Daniel, just visiting,"came the sinister voice of Vlad. A frustrated growl came from my lips, as I locked eyes with him.

"What do you want now, Vlad?"I demanded, clenching my hands to my sides. He just smirked, looking down at me with his crimson-red eyes, as he waited for another response.

"Just checking in on my new neighbor,"he murmured serenely, continuing to smirk as I turned bewildered.

"Neighbor? What're you talking about?" He just remained silent, before my dad's voice rang out, disturbing our conversation.

"V-man! Where are ya?"were his words, as I blinked, confused and shocked. "What are you talking about, Plasmius?"I exclaimed, waiting for his reaction. He just sunk towards the floor, switching back to Vlad Masters, and watched calmly as the door slammed open.

"There ya are, Vladdie!"Dad greeted, glancing over at me. "Oh, Danny, Vlad here's gonna be staying over!" I blinked slowly, as if trying to process this.

"Um... he's what?!"I snapped, glaring over at Vlad. He just nonchalantly smirked, ignoring my glares and staring directly at Dad.

"He's staying, of course! He'll be staying in the guest bedroom, just beside your room!" Great, he'll be staying right next to me?!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Do NOT own Danny Phantom, thanks for the reads so far! (:

{Danny's PoV}

A sigh came from my lips, as the little "reunion" had come to a halt, and I had retreated upstairs. Jazz wasn't happy either; she was angry. With a furious glare at Vlad, she too returned to her room, our pareents completely oblivious to our distaste towards him.

So, there I was, blinking back determined tears, which were so focused on escaping. How else was I supposed to react? My arch nemisis was going to be staying in the room right next to me!

The scars were already healing, barely any markings left over. Great, more room to cut! And this time my thoughts weren't sarcastic. And so, I began. I slashed away at my wrist, angry tears succeeding in escaping my eyes. The razor was coated in blood, showing off a red tint. If you were to simply swipe your finger over the cut, you'd get numerous droplets of blood on you.

My gore actions seized, as I just rested my head on the bedroom door, letting the blood cascade down my now-pale skin. Well, that was until there was a knock at the door. Gasping, I quickly locked the door, grabbing a bandage, which I used for both ghost hunting wounds and self-harm, then wiped away my tears. Clearing my throat, I just prayed that it wouldn't like like I had been crying.

Crap! I wasn't wearing a shirt! But it was too late, I had already unlocked the door, and it had opened. I swiftly hid my wrist behind my back, flashing an anxious grin. But it wasn't anyone I expected it to be; it was none other than Vlad.

"Are you alright, Daniel?"he queried, unaware of my shirtless state. Forcing out a nervous chuckle, I considered my replies.

"Er, yeah! Why?" So it wasn't that good of a response, especially for Vlad Masters, but he took it anyways. With pleading eyes I just hoped he'd walk off. Finally taking notice of my shirtless form, he awkwardly nodded, murmuring,"No reason. Good night, little badger." And so, he left.

~XXX~

The next day was quite painful to wake up to. The slashes scattered upon my wrists and arms, a burning sensation coursing through them. Sorrowfully sighing, I frowned, the corners of my lips tugging downwards at the depressing thoughts. And that's when the memories came flooding back.

I shot up, gasping. Vlad was staying! The realization dawned on me like a ton of bricks had just plummeted from the sky, landing directly onto me. More sighs later, I had eventually gotten up, heading towards my closet and changing into my casual outfit, my white T-shirt and blue jeans. However, because of the cuts, I had to add in an exceptional blue jacket, the same one I had worn yesterday.

After getting dressed, I inched my way downstairs, afraid of the days to come. Vlad; my arch nemisis that was obsessed over my mom. Just great! What was he planning this time? Poison my dad? Shark attack? Something worse? Shaking my head in a futile attempt to clear my mind, which was littered in thoughts, I gradually made it to the kitchen, everyone else already there. Ugh, great. Mornings.

Rolling my eyes, my depression basically zapped my energy from me, as I just grabbed ahold of a waffle, eating only one then, just as I was about to leave, his voice rang out. "Daniel, surely you can't be going back upstairs? Why don't you join us?" Before I could make a rude retort, I gasped, the blue wisp of air escaping my slightly ajar lips. Just what I need; a ghost!

Vlad smirked, as he too sensed the ghost. "Can't, gotta go... to school!" They blinked bewilderedly, minus Vlad, as Mom piped up,"Danny, it's Saturday." Ugh! Stupid! I kept repeating in my head, mentally face-palming. "I-I meant... I need to finish my homework!"I exclaimed, exasperated, as I raced back up the stairs, slamming the door shut then transforming. Focusing in on my ghost side, I felt the two ivory halos emerge, traveling up and down, before I was switched into my astonishing ghost half; Danny Phantom.

Tapping into my intangibility, I phased through the thick wall of my room, exiting my house and reappearing outside of it. Glancing around, I scoped the area, just waiting for the ghost to show itself.

And it did, by blasting me with a gun. It knocked me backwards, sending me flying back and crashing into my hous. What'ya know? It was Skulker. "What now, Skulker?"I snapped, already feeling last night's cuts reopening.

However, we weren't alone. My parents were already out and aiming their weapons at the two of us, not sure who to shoot at first. Then came Jazz, as Dad shot out a green ray, but before it could hit me, Jazz purposely knocked into Dad, exclaiming a,"Whoops!" Instead of striking me, the beam of green landed on Skulker, causing him to groan and query,"Why can't I just have a moment of peace to fight?"'

My mein turned serious, as while he was distracted I dazed him with a blow to the face, then whipped out the Fenton thermos. It easily latched onto him, dragging Skulker into the container. Chuckling, I spoke,"Well that was easy."

But it just wasn't over; it never is easy, is it? My parents began aiming for me, demanding things like,"How'd you get our Fenton thermos?!" Avoiding their hits, I swiftly propelled forwards, bolting off.

I then transformed intangible, returning to my house and switching back to Fenton, racing down the stairs and out the door, saying feignly,"Woah, what was that?" My voice ended at an odd pitch which earned weird looks, but they returned to their weapons. "Aw, man! We were so close to getting the ghosts! Curses!" Dad bellowed, growling angrily.

Ah, if only they knew. But then they'd rip me apart, molecule by molecule. Shaking my head, my thoughts were interrupted by Dad's voice. "Hey, Danny, are you bleeding?" Giving him a bewildered look, I then came to the realization. "Hehe, no. While you guys were outside I was eating... with some ketchup!" Thankfully my voice didn't come off as panicky, or strange, they bought it, all except for Vlad.

Smirking, he suggested,"Perhaps we should clean off that jacket of yours, hm?" Rapidly shaking my head, I responded,"Nope! Gotta go, I'll do it later, bye!" And so I bolted back into the house, up the stairs, and into my room, prepared to panic. Aw, man. What if they found out? What if they sent me off to a mental ward? "Ugh!"I exclaimed, releasing an irritated noise into the tense air.

~XXX~

Later that day, my two friends, Sam and Tucker, had called numerous times, but I easily made excuses about not being able to hang out with them. They didn't put up much of a fight, so I'm guessing I'm either getting better at lying, or they just don't want to hang out with me as much as they think they do. Yeah, I'm guessing it's the second one.

A sigh came from my chapped lips, as I got up from my bed and to my feet. Stretching out my arms, l sprawled out like a cat. Shaking my head drowsily, it was then I realized my wrists itched. They itched with hope, determined to get me to cut. And so, I did.

I cut to my hearts desire, concentrating on one thing; self harm. Within many dragging minutes, leaning against the door, I had about five slashes scattered across my wrists. They weren't as deep as I had hoped, but they still bled quickly. Letting out a contented sigh, I reluctantly got to my feet, gripping onto a package of gauze, and then wrapping it around the self-inflicted wounds, keeping the blood from oozing through my jacket.

It was then I was called down to dinner, and so I slowly and uncertainly ambled down the staircase, begrudgingly taking a seat at the table. Eventually Vlad joined, and nothing interesting happened, besides the fact I asked,"So, why is Vlad staying over?" They exchanged glances, so I added,"Just curious." Blinking, they returned to their food nonchalantly.

"Vlad's getting some improvements on his mansion done,"Mom answered, making me nod. Huh, improvements. Right... We eventually ended dinner, and so I quickly made my way up the stairs, hoping not to catch anyone's attention, by discreetly crawling my way up them. Apparently it worked, well, until Vlad noticed.

He was already waiting for me in the hallway that led to my bedroom door, so I casually rolled my azure orbs, demanding annoyingly,"What do you want now, Plasmius?" He just shook off the venom in my voice like it was nothing, then smirked, innocently placing his hands behind his back.

"Now why would I want anything from you, little badger?" Yep, that was his reply. So, without further notice, I walked straight past him, heading right to my room so I could take care of my cuts. Apparently I didn't do it discreetly enough, because before I could escape, he latched onto my arm, causing me to hiss in pain.

"Now what?"I rudely inquired, watching with panic as he glanced down at my arm. The blood was seeping through the navy-blue jacket, causing me to pull back abruptly, snatching my wrist back.

"Now what happened, Daniel,"he mimicked, his smirk faltering slightly, before rebuilding itself. "More ghost fighting I presume?" Narrowing my eyes unintentionally, I just nodded, thinking Yeah, as if! Stalking off, I slammed my door shut, releasing a growl, as I plunged into my bed. Vlad was getting suspicious.

If this is the first day, how will I survive the rest?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Don't own DP...

{Danny's POV}

I was right, Vlad was getting suspicious. Since that night (which was two days ago), he's been giving me weird looks, and when he did his eyes would narrow and observe intently, like I was some sort of... prey. No one else had noticed anything, but Sam had questioned me on why I was wearing a jacket all the time. I just told her ever since I got my freeze power that it made me feel colder, and she obviously bought it. So, here I am, sitting in my bathroom, back pressed against the ivory, wooden door with a razor in hand and blood slipping from the other.

Well, that was until there was a knock at the door. Mentally groaning, I called through,"Who is it?" Instantly I received a response.

"Who else, boy? You've been in there since breakfast; it's been nearly an hour!" And that, was none other than the voice of Vlad. I could just hear the sinister mein upon his face. Rolling my eyes, I pulled on a peach-colored gauze, lacing it over my wrist, then pulling on my dim-blue jacket, easily concealing the gashes.

This time groaning aloud, I swung open the door, after stashing away the razor, and came face-to-chest with the man. "So? I just feel sick,"I responded cooly, but not great enough for him not to notice my panic gleam held in my light-blue eyes. He just grunted, casting his gaze off to the side, as if about to roll his eyes, but halted midway.

"What? No witty comeback?"Vlad queried, quirking an eyebrow. At this I rolled my eyes in front of him, making him cross his arms.

"What? No lame attempt to steal my mom?"I retorted, narrowing my eyes. He just chuckled, obviously earning a slightly taken aback me. I obviously expecting him to just... laugh.

"No, Daniel, I've come for something much better,"he replied mysteriously, smirking once more.

"Right..." I trailed off, shaking my head. "Well I'm just gonna..." I stepped past him, but he simply took a step backwards, blocking my way. Acting like a barricade, he just stood there, like a brick wall. "Need something?"I inquired, once again narrowing my eyes to slits.

"Just one more thing,"he replied,"about those cuts..." Oh fuck no. There was no way in hell that he could've found out. "Which ghost gave them to you again?"

Great! Just great, he knew-wait what? He didn't know! Mentally cheering, I anxiously shifted to my left food, considering my choices. "Oh, ya know... just some unfamiliar ghost that was green and stuff..."

"Oh, well doesn't that narrow it down?"Vlad murmured sarcastically. Clenching my fists to my sides, I rolled my eyes, again attempting to step past him. This time he let me, as I quickly retreated to my room.

~XXX~

By now dinner had just ended, and in this day I had hung out with Tucker (Sam was sick), and we had just had a snack at the Nasty Burger. So far it was pretty uneventul, minus that strange Vlad incident. Jazz had swiftly devoured her food, then left, and immediately I knew something could possibly be up, so I just went up to my room as well.

Tomorrow was Tuesday, and so far the weak was already horrendous. Today Dash had socked me in the jaw, but I managed to "borrow" some of Sam's concealer to hide the bruise. So far, it had worked. However, I wasn't sure how much longer I could go on. With Vlad over, the bullying, the school work, and most importantly, the ghost fighting, it took a whole lot of energy to do anything. Pfft, so much for super hero, eh? I could only handle so much.

Sam and Tucker have been getting closer lately, and I am suspecting something. Maybe they were finding out? Or getting suspicious? Ugh, just what I needed! More people "worrying" about me! Shaking my head, again, to clear my disgruntled mind, I then focused my attention back onto my razor, refusing to let tears escape. Besides, one, I didn't want to appear weak. And two, once they started they never stopped.

Again I was cutting, forced to find a gore-y relief in this cruel world. However, before I could resume cutting, yet another knock came from my door, disturbing my horrific thoughts. Groaning, I stashed away my razor, pulled back on my old bandages, and slipped on the typical jacket. "Who is it?" I called through. Although, instead of answering, they simply swung open the door, entering the room. It was Jazz.

"Danny, I think we need to talk," she spoke, a frown etched onto her face, as she stepped closer. Gulping at her serious expression, I quickly realized that this must have something to do with the way she's been acting. "Danny, remember when you told me you were feeling depressed?" she queried, sending a panicky aura up my body.

"Yeah..."

"I... I think you were right,"she murmured sorrowfully. Blinking, I swiftly changed my expression from panicked to calm.

"Eh, don't worry about it, Jazz. I was only feeling depressed because Sam and Tucker couldn't hang out." It wasn't a complete lie; the time I had told her, Sam and Tucker got flooded with "homework", which I'm pretty sure was just an excuse not to hang out with me.

"But, Danny, you match perfectly with all the symptoms!" she urged, her eyebrows lowering in sadness.

"Jazz, don't worry about it. I- am- fine!" I replied slowly, as if trying to explain complicated work to a toddler.

"But, Danny, I-"

"No, Jazz, no more weird conclusions," I intercepted, pushing her out the door.

"Danny-" Nope, before she could finish, I slammed the door shut, leaving her gaping and furiously frowning.

She's getting close... Maybe I could end it; end it all, right here, right now. Maybe I don't even have to make a note... No, I wanted it to be an obvious suicide, and to show Dash that words can kill. Plus, I didn't want my parents to figure out I was Danny Phantom in some letter. Sighing heavily, I sat down on my bed, head in hands, as I ran a stressed hand through my raven-black hair.

"Something wrong with you, Daniel?" came my arch nemesis' voice. Growling in frustration, I located the source of the sound (without looking), then blasted him with an ghost ray.

"Fuck off, Plasmius," I spat, venom lacing my words. He just feigned a surprised look, muttering things like "Didn't your mother teach you better?" and other things, but I just ignored him. He growled, finally heeding to my silent plea, and left, phasing through the walls. Little did I know he was still watching.

"Ugh! Fuck my life!" I gasped out, collapsing onto the bed. The moment my head hit the pillow, I was out, surprisingly with my insomnia, as Vlad continued watching.

I could have sworn I heard words, and Vlad's voice, saying something like "Good night, little badger. I will figure out about those cuts of yours." And then, he left.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: still don't own Danny Phantom...

{Danny's POV}

It was later in the day, the sun's rays linking each other with sunlight, as they streamed through the window, providing a great light source. Groaning, I awoke, shaking my head. Apparently I had slept it- a lot. The sun was already midway into the sky, which was filled with fluffy, ivory-white clouds and blue hues. It must have been at least eleven o'clock.

My room was as usual; lame and calming. It was a serene moment; peaceful and delicate, like one of those rare events that just about never happen. And though I didn't want the moment to end, I knew it would have to some day. So, I decided to get up. Gradually getting to my feet, and nearly stumbling, I made my way to my closet, dressing in my common outfit, consisting of my white T-shirt, blue jeans, red sneakers, and a cobalt-colored sweater, I was ready to face the day. It wasn't a school day (thankfully) and so I was going to hang out with Sam and Tucker today.

Grabbing ahold of my phone, I hurriedly called up them both, placing them in a group call, then spoke into it,"Hey, guys." They said the typical hello's, and minutes later I was out the door, preparing to meet up with them. However, I was held up by him of course.

"Now where could you possibly be going, Daniel?" came Vlad's voice, a casual smirk on his features.

"None of your business, Plasmius," I responded, shooting glares at him that clearly defined hatred. He, however, ignored them, and resumed pestering me.

"Oh, but I am simply concerned!" he feignly implied, just making me shake my head. Aiming to walk right past him, I failed miserably by him blocking my path. "Just tell me, Daniel, where are you going this time?" He emphasized on the 'this time', probably just to get my anger rising.

"My friends," I replied, a snappish tone to my voice. "You'd know wouldn't you? Oh wait- you wouldn't, because you don't have friends, do you, Plasmius?" My tone was a sassy one, which was apparently enough to get him to let me go, as he shifted to the side, his eyes continuing to follow me all the way down the street.

~XXX~

"Dude, I can't believe it! Already three ghosts out!" Tucker exclaimed, raising his hands into the air.

"Yeah, just what I need to feel better while 'Vladdie' is at my place," I muttered gloomily, causing Sam to glance towards me while we kept walking.

"Woah, Danny, cheer up! On the bright side, he hasn't tried any moves yet, has he?" she queried, proving a positive point. Nodding, she grinned, saying,"See? No biggie, just ignore him and maybe-" We had reached my house, and there was Vlad, lurking over us as he waited for Sam to continue her sentence. "-he'll ignore... you?" she ended, blinking as she glanced up at him. It came out as more of a question when she finished it, and he just chuckled.

"Hello, Daniel, Samantha, Tucker!" he greeted sinisterly, chuckling darkly.

"Don't- call- me- Samantha!" Sam demanded, a growl leaving her throat. Narrowing her eyes at him in a glare, he just chuckled again, bypassing her words.

"Oh, and I see that you and Tucker are still together?" Vlad added, making me wear a bewildered expression.

"Wait- what?" I asked, as Sam and Tucker gaped at him. "Wait- you guys are together?!" I gasped out, staring wide-eyed at the two. Sighing, Sam spoke up.

"Danny, we were going to tell you, but it just wasn't a good time," she calmly revealed, a desperate look on her face. Shaking my head, I just walked off, ignoring their onlooking eyes.

I slammed the door shut, ignoring the hello's, as I felt anger course through me. Ugh! They were dating? And Tucker knew I had a crush on her? I just felt like punching something! So I did, I transformed to Phantom, the two bright circles unraveling my ghost side, as I phased through the wall, coming face-to-face with Vlad.

"What now, Vlad?" I demanded, hands clenching into fists. He just gave me a strange look, and let me pass by him this time. I gladly accepted, flying off and ignoring his following gaze as I flew towards my secret hideout; a dark, abandoned alley.

Sure it wasn't much, but it was enough to keep my secrets safe. I had stumbled across it while running from Cujo, my ol' ghost dog. He was annoying, always trailing behind me wherever I went, whether it was my house or even school! It brought up some questions, but I easily discarded them. So, there I was, leaning against the brick wall in the shadowy corner, a betrayed expression on my face. My heart ached, as if it were sore. However, when I turned ghost, my emotions would die down a little. I was already in Phantom form, so I couldn't imagine just how terrible I'd feel if I were in Fenton form.

Sighing, I leaned against the wall for more support, wishing I had my razor with me. It was then I spotted something glassy and shiny. Narrowing my eyes, I crawled over to it, discovering a broken piece of a beer bottle. Gleefully smirking, I latched a hold of the object, returning back to my spot in the dim corner, tracing the sharp glass across my wrist harshly. Little did my "friends" know that they were adding to my injuries, my self-harm injuries that is. I couldn't blame them though, they didn't know. Hell, how would they know? I guess I was just getting better at hiding it. It had nearly been two months, and I was starting to fail at remembering old times, when I was still happy, and I didn't need such drastic relief... before I was Danny Phantom.

Maybe now I could just... do it. Maybe now I could just... loose. At life, at love, at happiness... at being a hero. It wasn't like anyone would miss me. I mean, like, what would they do? Cry for a month or two, then get over me? Yeah... yeah that's what they'd do. Tears streamed from my eyes as I thought of suicide, struggling to remember a time when I didn't consider it. Back before my life went to hell. Yeah, that's it. I was in hell. Except... what if they did care? What if they missed me? Then what? A rather dramatic sigh escaped, as I continued thinking over my choices. I knew what I had to do.

I stole a piece of notebook paper from Jazz, while she was out of her room, then grasped onto a pencil, returning to my room. I wanted to last be in the place I used to be happy; my room. Sam, Tucker, and I used to hang out here all the time, just chatting away obliviously in my room. So, I began. I wrote to my heart's desire, scribbling down things to specific people... and then came my parents. They would never know until I was dead, never know that I was the person they hated the most, the person they shot at with their ecto-guns, and had nearly captured a few times. They'd never know that I was Danny Phantom, "hero" of Amity Park. Why would people ever consider me their hero, when I couldn't even save myself? Sighing, I began explaining it all.

Dear mom and dad;

I'm not who you think I am. I'm something you hate, something you loathe, something you'd never accept. Something you'd never love. But that doesn't matter now, no one ever loved me anyways. With school, bullying, stress, and ghost fighting- yes, ghost fighting- it was all too much. Especially when I found out the girl I love, Sam, was dating my ex-best friend, Tucker. Yeah, so maybe I'm overreacting, but it doesn't matter. It would've all come down to this anyways. But what am I talking about? Let's go back.

It started with the portal, when I had just turned fourteen a few weeks ago. You guys had built it, and it wouldn't work. So, Sam told me I should make it work, telling me to fix it so you guys wouldn't be so disappointed. So I did. I went in, with one of your jumpsuits, and pressed the 'on' button. It changed my life forever. Now I'm something that shouldn't exist. I'm half-ghost. Yeah, that's right. Half-ghost, son of ghost hunters. This is why I've been avoiding you guys, and why I'd always say "You'd never understand." It's true, you wouldn't.

So, I decided to fight all the bad ghosts. I tried as hard as I could, but it wouldn't work. They'd just keep coming back, plus all the hate I was receiving from when I was corrupted by Freakshow (an evil ghost), and other misunderstandings. I know you hate me now, more than you ever have before. I don't blame you; I'm a freak. There's also something you need to know, for your safety. Vlad Masters is the "Wisconsin Ghost."

But it never did matter, did it? No, no one cares, unless you're dead, like I will be when you're reading this. No one would care what I said, so why should you even be reading this? Not like you care. Anyways, yes, goodbye. Guess I'm off to oblivion, or hell, whichever one exists.

-Danny Fenton/Phantom

I was crying harder than I ever have before, as I folded the note and placed it on my bed half-heartedly, flying out the window and towards the sky. I inched my way into the sky, as high as I could, until I couldn't make out what the giant "Fenton Works" sign said. And just as I was about to switch back into my human form, I was interrupted.

"What are you doing, Daniel?"


End file.
